Eye-catching

"Iroko, smile for the camera," his parents said as they took his picture.

I am smiling, damn it...

His sour smile wasn't convincing. Because it came from his mouth, not his soul. It was more unsettling than simply having a serious expression all the time. Iroko identified with many celebrities who had to force a smile for photos. Just like him, they only moved their mouths. The rest of their faces, especially their eyes, were too tiresome to change.

But even they had a reason to do so: taking photos all the time, every day. He couldn't understand why he, out of all people, couldn't properly smile. Maybe because he was never happy inside, only temporarily satisfied. If someone close to him died, he would not be emotionally affected. Perhaps because they were not close enough.

Minako dispelled that concern of his. He wasn't smiling physically, but internally. The way she didn't even try to show a smile or any expression that wasn't one of absolute seriousness... was something he longed for. He wanted to be himself again, but he didn't want to offend anyone. That girl reminded him of the person he wanted to be.

On a rooftop, a masked young man lay. Dressed all in black, he would have attracted a lot of attention during the day, but the building's railing concealed him. He was talking on the phone.

"I've successfully tracked them down, boss. I will send you the coordinates," he said, with a wry smile beneath his mask.

"Understood. Good job, Crow," a woman responded.

"Are you sure you can make the payment? It's not cheap, you know?"

"Who do you think I am? I have connections. I can get some players with no effort."

"I see. Then, don't be late." The ninja hung up, opening his arms like a child playing in the snow.

Man, my job is so easy... I can locate anyone just by tracking their steps. And since I don't need to see them, I can hide anywhere.

Minako's footsteps could be seen by the ninja. He, however, couldn't risk being seen, so he waited for them to return home so he could draw the path to Kuroki's apartment and send it to his client.

I can only track one person's steps at a time, but these two are probably the players Sparky is after. If not, I'll still receive my payment. What she does with this information is none of my business.

On the other end of the line, the woman was preparing to attack. A sniper had killed her husband. She calculated the approximate location of the attack and hired Crow to find them.

I wouldn't care if his connections didn't affect me, but this has become personal. If I keep losing my influence, I'll never reach Blazy's level...

Her hair was now short and silver, giving her a tomboyish look. Her clothes were also silver and modern, a stark contrast to her previous elegant red dress. She dyed her hair, once golden, silver to conceal her identity. Her eyes matched the new color, in an attempt to present herself as a new persona.

Sniper, you're going to pay...

Minako and Iroko arrived at Kuroki's apartment. "Not a single second wasted, huh, Minako?" Kuroki smiled at them. "Nobody followed you, right?"

Minako didn't answer and went straight to her room. "Eh? I-I don't know, I was a litte distracted..." Iroko muttered.

"Don't worry, she would let me know if she noticed anything. Rest now, tomorrow will be a long day," Kuroki comforted him.

He truly cares about us... I can't just act naturally, I need to show my gratitude.

"Yes, boss!" exclaimed Iroko, smiling as he finally found his new place. He went to his room, which was dark due to the absence of windows, since the windows were on the same side as Kuroki's room.

Minako had already changed her clothes and was lying on the bed, engrossed in her cell phone. After a while, she started staring at him, because he seemed to want to tell her something.

He smiled after being noticed and bowed to her. "Thank you, Minako! For going out with me."

As expected, she didn't reply. However, he needed to show his gratitude somehow, since he was terrible at it with just gestures and fake smiles.

I don't know if she liked it or not, but I had to try. It's better than staying silent and letting people judge me for who I'm not. I'm tired of hiding what I feel.

Unexpectedly, she gave him a thumbs-up. It was a simple and direct gesture, but one that eased his worries and brought him genuine happiness.

I know I shouldn't depend on other people's opinions to be happy, but when it comes to someone I like... I can't help but feel really good.

He finally had the chance to lie down in the same bed as her, since it was a double bed and there was only one. He couldn't get any closer to her, but being in the same space was enough for now.

Kasugo left his room and saw Kuroki on the sofa. "Have they arrived yet?" he asked, before hearing Iroko thanking Minako. He couldn't see her gesture, but he was happy that his new friend was finally starting to open up.

"Kuroki, you should rest as well," Kasugo said, showing concern. "Tomorrow won't be easy, not even for you."

"I know, just give me a minute. I like to relax on this couch, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, It's very comfy. If you need me for anything, I'll be in our room."

"Got it."

Finally, all was at peace. No sound could be heard, no worries lingered in Kuroki's mind. He was almost asleep when...

The living room window shattered. A hook remained stuck in the frame. Kuroki realized someone was about to enter through the window, so he stood up to kick the hook away. At the same time, however, the apartment door, even though it was locked, swung open, revealing a ninja girl and an archer.

The archer was already preparing to fire an arrow, so before Kuroki could dodge, he was hit in the shoulder. The ninja with white hair and blue eyes quickly advanced with a flying kick, which Kuroki managed to dodge with agility.

Someone entered through the window with the hook. He looked like a scout. Quickly, he grabbed a slingshot and fired a small metal ball at Kuroki's head. He managed to tilt his head back, minimizing the damage, but it still hurt a lot.

What is that speed? It's nearly impossible to dodge!

Kuroki grabbed the arrow lodged in his shoulder and forcibly pulled it out, but it suddenly vanished.

If I had to guess, I'd say the archer's power is to materialize arrows. I don't know about the bow. The ninja...

Just as she was about to advance, a door opened. Kasugo emerged from his room, already wearing his armor and wielding his metal bat, ready to fight. The ninja charged toward Kuroki, who appeared weaker. Kasugo aimed for her eyes and struck them with yellow paint, reducing their durability. Kuroki tried to punch her, but she was quick enough to dodge and retreat.

Iroko opened the door of his room. "Stay in there, Iroko," Kasugo said with a serious expression. "It's very cramped in here, and they're going to use you as a hostage. Help Minako."

Oh, yeah, that's why her room is dark!

The ninja couldn't see properly, but she began leaping across walls and furniture at superhuman speed. The archer prepared another arrow, aiming for Kasugo's head. He painted his own face with his power, protecting it.

The archer quickly changed targets and shot an arrow at Kuroki's head, who managed to protect his face with his hand and arm. The arrow flew much faster than he had anticipated and easily pierced part of his arm.

The scout fired a metal ball directly at Kasugo's head, causing him significant damage, even with the yellow paint. He began to bleed, but Kuroki repaired the wound, helping him to remain conscious.

As the ninja aimed for Kuroki's throat, she leaped toward him, but was violently pushed down by a mysterious force. Minako wasn't being kind to her shadow.

Kasugo painted his metal bat and ran towards the scout, who had prepared more metal balls. Because Kasugo had experience with baseball, he managed to hit the balls towards the wall, avoiding anyone getting hit. When he was close enough, he struck the scout in the head with the bat with all his might, knocking him unconscious.

The arrow in Kuroki's arm disappeared, but he made it reappear with his power. He ran towards the archer with his new green arrow and stabbed him in the eye.